Patent GB-1413158-A (GB)
Title: Decorative laminated structures and method of making the same
IPC: B44C3/02
Filed: 1972-12-11
Abstract: 1413158 Decorative laminate DAI NIPPON PRINTING CO Ltd 11 Dec 1972 [11 Dec 1971 13 Jan 1972 14 April 1972 27 May 1972] 57086/72 Heading B5N [Also in Division B2] A decorative laminated structure having a pattern of concave surface portions comprises a base layer, a sheet, and contiguous and directly adhered to said sheet, a masking layer having a plurality of radiant heat-absorbing areas, the concave surface portions being formed on the sheet at its portions covered by the heatabsorbing areas. In a preferred embodiment, the sheet having the concave portions has, formed on its external surface a coating layer for protecting and/or delustering said surface. The structure may be made by forming a laminated composite material comprising the base layer, a sheet of heat-shrinkable material and the masking layer containing a plurality of heatabsorbing areas, the masking layer being contiguous and directly adhered to the sheet, and irradiating the composite material with radiant heat to cause the sheet to shrink at the portions thereof covered by the heat-absorbing areas so as to form concave surface portions, the coating layer being optionally applied to the composite material before or after irradiation. The masking layer may be formed on one surface of the sheet and the base layer laminated to the other surface thereof; alternatively, the base layer may be laminated to the masking layer. In an alternative procedure, the masking layer is formed on the surface of the base layer and the sheet laminated to the masking layer. In yet an alternative procedure, the sheet is laminated to the base layer and the masking layer formed on the free surface of the sheet. The sheet may be a thermoplastic homo- or copolymer, e.g. polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene chloride, polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, a polyester, a polyamide, a polycarbonate, polyvinyl alcohol, a cellulosic material or rubber. The base layer, which may be coloured throughout or may have a coloured surface may be of cellulose acetate, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene chloride, polystyrene, a polycarbonate, a polyester, polyvinyl alcohol, a polyamide, a metallic sheet or foil, e.g. aluminium foil, wood, plywood, rubber, cardboard, paper, asbestos paper or a laminate of any two thereof. The masking layer may comprise only the plurality of heat-absorbing areas; alternatively it may comprise the plurality of heatabsorbing areas and a plurality of non-heatabsorbing areas. The heat-absorbing areas or both the heat-absorbing areas and the non- heat-absorbing areas may be formed by photogravure printing, offset printing, relief printing, screen printing, electrostatic printing or hand printing using a composition comprising a suitable pigment and a vehicle, e.g. linseed oil, soy bean oil, synthetic drying oil, rosin, copal, dammar, hardened rosin, rosin ester, polymerized rosin, a rosin modified resin, a phenolic resin, a maleic acid resin, and alkyd resin, a petroleum resin, a vinyl resin, e.g. a vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymer, an acrylic resin, a polyamide, an epoxy resin, an amino alkyd resin, nitrocellulose, ethyl cellulose, rubber chloride, cyclized rubber, casein, dextrin or zein. In an alternative procedure, pre-formed heat-absorbing areas or both preformed heat-absorbing areas and preformed non-heat-absorbing areas are pasted on the sheet and/or the base layer. The sheet and the base layer may be adhesively bonded by pressing roll, heat or high frequency irradiation, specified adhesives being an acrylic resin, a vinyl resin, a polyamide, a cellulose material, an aminoplast, a phenolic resin, a polyester, a furan resin, an epoxy resin, a polyurethane or a rubber, e.g. a vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymer, polyvinyl acetate, polyvinyl chloride or an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer. The coating material may be applied by roll coating, gravure coating, bar coating, flow coating, dip coating or spray coating and may comprise a filler, e.g. silica, titanium dioxide, alumina, gypsum, calcium carbonate, barium sulphate or clay, a solvent and a polymeric material, specified polymeric materials being natural resin, an alkyd resin, a butylated aminoaldehyde resin, a phenolic resin, a vinyl resin, an acrylic resin, an epoxy resin, a polyurethane, a butyral resin, nitrocellulose, cellulose acetate, butyl cellulose or a rubber derivative. In an alternative procedure, the coating layer is applied as a preformed sheet or film, suitable materials for the layer or film being polyethylene, polypropylene, a polyester, polystyrene, polyvinylidene chloride, a polycarbonate, polyvinyl alcohol and a polyamide. The products of the invention may be subjected to high-temperature heat-stabilization, e.g. in an oven.